Second suspect arrested in Patricia White's death

MANATEE — Wearing a Manatee County Jail jumpsuit, 21-year-old Bryan Yarn, of Bradenton, made his first appearance in court via video conference Wednesday and heard Circuit Judge Scott Brownell set his bond at $125,000 for unpremeditated murder and armed robbery in the shooting death of Patricia White, of Palmetto.

Yarn was tracked down at a residence in East Bradenton on Tuesday night, brought in for questioning and later became the second person arrested for crimes against White, said Dave Bristow, a Manatee County Sheriff’s Office spokesman.

Bryan Yarn’s brother, Lamont Yarn, was earlier charged with murder and armed robbery in the White shooting.

When deputies arrived Oct. 1 at White’s duplex in the 3900 block of 3rd Avenue Drive East in Palmetto they discovered White and her son, Clarence J. White, both dead. Clarence White died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound after his mother was shot, according to the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office.

They also found Lamont Yarn suffering from a gunshot wound to his head.

“He has been treated and released and he’s in jail with his brother,” Bristow said of Lamont Yarn.

“The Yarn brothers are suspects No. 1 and No. 2, but there might be a No. 3 and a No. 4,” added Bristow, confirming that the Sheriff’s Office believes a third suspect entered the White residence with the Yarn brothers while a fourth suspect may have remained outside, but was still involved.

The Sheriff’s Office has made strides in identifying other suspects but is still a ways off from arrests, Bristow said.

“We don’t have positive IDs yet,” he added.

The bond set for Bryan Yarn was fair, said Jared Monahan, the assistant state attorney. “I’ve read the warrant and the judge was well within the law,” Monahan said. “If Mr. Yarn can come up with the money, he can bond out.”

At one point, Brownell asked Monahan if Yarn had prior arrests and Monahan indicated that he had been arrested for resisting arrest in 2007.

“And there’s a couple of other arrests on his record,” Monahan said of Bryan Yarn. He also was arrested on drug charges in 2007, Bristow said.

It appears the motive for the shooting was drug-related, Bristow said.

“We know this was not just a random incident,” Bristow added. “We think the Yarn brothers may have gone there for drugs or money.”

This story was originally published October 15, 2009 at 12:00 AM with the headline "Second suspect arrested in Patricia White's death."